[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 10715]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE INDEPENDENCE OF SOUTH SUDAN

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 8, 2011

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
world's newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan. On July 9, 2011, 
after months of preparation, South Sudan will officially declare its 
independence from Sudan. In January 2011, South Sudan held a referendum 
on the issue of secession, where 97.5 percent of Southern Sudanese 
turned out to vote and an overwhelming 98.8 percent voted for 
separation. Tomorrow, the independence of South Sudan marks the end of 
the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended 22 years of war 
between northern and southern Sudan, and the birth of a new country 
based on the principles of self-determination, freedom, and justice.
  However, South Sudan faces numerous challenges that will need to be 
resolved after its independence. South Sudan and Sudan still have to 
agree on issues such as revenue sharing, especially oil revenues, 
border disputes, security agreements, national debt, citizenship, and 
currency. In addition, South Sudan lacks two critical resources: 
government infrastructure and personnel, which are crucial to creating 
a strong and viable government.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the people of South Sudan 
on achieving their dream of independence, and extend my deepest 
sympathies to those who lost loved ones in the fight for freedom. I 
encourage my colleagues in Congress to join me in commemorating the 
struggle and sacrifices of millions of Southern Sudanese, and to work 
with the international community to ensure that South Sudan becomes a 
politically and economically stable nation.

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